Determination of the Thermal Diffusivity of Materials Using Numerical and Analytical Method at Small Fourier Numbers

Abstract

We propose a relatively simple procedure which provides improving the accuracy of the thermal diffusivity determination and temperature dependence using numerical and analytical method at small Fourier numbers (Fo < 0,3). The calculation is performed for each time interval thermal of symmetric temperature field of infinite plate (thickness 2R). The temperature values of the experimentally obtained temperature field x = 0, x = z, x = R (0 < z < R, in the particular case z = R/2) are used in calculations. We assessed the complexity and accuracy of the determination of the thermal diffusivity and convective heat transfer coefficient using test temperature fields calculated by the method of finite differences for the plates made of steel and red brick under varying boundary conditions. The method is rather accurate, descriptive and easy to use; data processing can be carried out using Microsoft Excel. Lines of further developing of the method are considered.